


An Error of Communication

by iamtheoneinthehole



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-15
Updated: 2014-03-15
Packaged: 2018-01-15 21:00:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1319002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamtheoneinthehole/pseuds/iamtheoneinthehole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompted anonymously; Hello! I have been listening to old podcasts and in the 160-ish range (when Gavin gets his visa) Jack is pretty mean to Gavin (talking about wanting to punch him all the time and how stupid he is). Can you write an OT6 fic where somehow this is brought up (a fan? listening to old podcasts?) and Jack feels really bad about it? And maybe Gavin feels like Jack sometimes still feels that way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Error of Communication

**Author's Note:**

> I really loved this prompt (especially since it gave me an excuse to go back and listen to the old podcasts which I’ve been meaning to do for a while now) so thanks anon! I hope you like what I’ve done with it!

They’d all been answering questions at a panel for RTX when a fan had first brought it up. “Hey there! First of all I just want to say you guys changed my life so thanks…" The fan had received a series of smiles and nods in response to that, Ryan making a comment about how the fans had kind of changed their lives as well with their support and getting a cheer from the crowd in response before the fan had continued, "Second... did Jack really hate Gavin when you guys first met? Its just I’ve been listening to some of the old podcasts and Jack kind of seemed a little hostile towards him and actually said he wanted to hit him a few times.”

There’d been silence along the table for a moment before Gavin had leant forward to his mic with a grin, “Yeah Jack did say he wanted to hit me a lot back then but hey I probably gave him a lot of good reasons for that. I guess it takes a while to adjust when there's someone new in the office but lucky for all of us I tend to grow on people after a while.”

"Yeah, like a fungus."

"Hey!" After that the room had descended into laughter, the boys resorting to their usual teasing while Gavin pouted and made ‘Gavin noises’ and soon the actual question that’d been asked was all but forgotten… But Jack hadn’t forgotten the way the usual happy spark in the Brit’s eyes had dimmed a little at the mention of those old podcasts, nor had he missed how he’d been so quick to agree with the fan about Jack’s past urge to hit him… And right now he also didn’t miss how the smile on Gavin’s face, as another question was asked and Michael and Gavin started talking about their ‘swimmy bevs’, didn’t quite reach his eyes the way it usually did…

——

He’d confronted the Brit about it after the panel, catching his arm as the others started to head towards the meet and greet they were meant to be doing in a few minutes time, telling the guys they’d catch up to them before turning to Gavin whose confused expression would probably be sort of comical under different circumstances.

"Hey Gav… you know I never actually meant any of those things I said back then right?"

"Yeah, sure… Now come on Jack, can’t keep the fans waiting." And with that he’d started tugging on Jack’s hand like an excited child (something that was more than a little endearing really) as they waded through the crowds towards the panel, Jack just narrowly managing to keep the frown off his face as he realized the Brit had more or less avoided the question which made the offhand ‘sure’ he’d offered a lot harder to believe.

And he couldn’t help but distractedly wonder, as he moved to take his seat at the signing tables, whether that meant Gavin had actually believed his words back then… he sure as hell hoped not but he couldn’t shake the niggling suspicions in the back of his mind, nor the guilt that was already beginning to gnaw at his gut at the possibility.

—-

Gavin had sighed a little, internally of course so as not to draw his boyfriend's attention to it, when those old podcasts had been brought up at the panel. It wasn’t necessarily that he blamed the fan for their curiosity, in their shoes he was pretty sure he’d be confused too given the pretty huge jump from that to the announcement they’d made a month ago now that he and Jack, along with the others, were now in a committed relationship.

But all the same, the question had brought words that he hadn’t really wanted to remember swimming up to the surface of his mind. _'Slow mo douchebag', 'you’re stupid', 'can I please hit him, just let me hit him one time…'_ he hadn’t ever really forgotten those words but, most of the time, he liked to pretend that he had.

Because whatever Jack had told him earlier, he’d always seemed to mean them when he'd said them. And it hadn’t just been on the podcasts the fan had mentioned either. Gavin and Jack had clashed a lot during his early days as part of the Achievement Hunter team and even now he felt like sometimes he managed to piss the guy off when they played together to the point where he’d make some comment, jokingly perhaps, that’d hit a little too close to the comments he’d made back then and Gavin would be left to force a smile even as he felt something heavy and uncomfortable settle within his chest.

He was quick to answer the fan’s question though, offering a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes and hoping his boyfriends would be too distracted by the panel setting to notice. It seemed to work… mostly, though he could see Jack looking at him a little more intently than the rest and knew the man had noticed something was up.

He’d played up his obliviousness, however, when Jack had caught his arm after the panel, telling the others they’d catch up in a moment. And he’d offered an offhand sure when Jack had claimed he’d never really meant his words, not quite able to believe the man despite how much he wanted to.

He’d made a point to drag Jack off towards the meet and greet area before he’d been able to notice, however, taking a seat next to Ray and trying to push the fan’s question out of his mind.

But the damage had been done and for the rest of the day he was forced to fight off thoughts about Jack and him and what if he was only with Gavin because the others were? What if he still secretly wanted to hit him every time he saw him and that moment after the panel had just been to throw Gavin and the others off that scent? He knew his thoughts were likely paranoid and possibly unfounded but, all the same, he couldn’t shake the uneasy notion that Jack might never have actually changed his opinion on Gavin after all.

—-

Jack had noticed how quiet Gavin had been when they’d gotten back to the hotel that night and the way he’d seemed to avoid him, though not in such an obvious way that he’d actually be able to call the Brit out on it. Eventually he’d been forced to let it go as they’d all retired to their rooms (Jack sharing with Geoff, Ryan with Ray and Michael with Gavin) and Jack had ended up spending several hours just staring at the ceiling as he’d worried about the Brit until he was eventually startled from his thoughts by Geoff’s voice.

"You know I can hear you thinking from over here?" Jack had shifted a little to face his groggy looking boyfriend, taking a moment to note how sleep deprivation was kind of adorable on the older man as he’d flashed him an apologetic smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Geoff had stared at him for a few moments, his expression becoming a little more awake and alert as he’d seemed to notice something in Jack’s expression, "Okay something’s obviously bothering you. What is it?"

"…Did you notice Gavin seemed a little quieter when we got back from RTX tonight?"

"He’s probably just tired Jack. Let’s face it, we’re all tired as dicks after three days of this. He probably just needs to get some rest and he’ll be fine."

"…I guess so."

"You don’t sound that convinced."

"You didn’t see him after that fan asked that question."

"Which question?"

"…Nevermind."

"Let it be known that I’m only letting this go because it's three in the fucking morning. But we’re continuing this talk tomorrow asshole."

"Sweet dreams Geoff." He couldn’t help but laugh a little as Geoff flipped him the bird in response, the gent falling asleep shortly after and Jack, eventually, following him this time into an exhausted, and slightly uneasy, sleep.

—-

True to his word, Geoff hadn’t let the subject go, though Jack had almost been convinced that he had given the fact that the man didn’t bring it up until they were all back and working in the Achievement Hunter office (sans Gavin who’d gone to talk to Burnie about something to do with the Slow Mo guy’s channel). The man had spun in his chair, mid-edit, and told Jack to tell him more about this fan’s question since he’d also started to notice that Gavin was being a little quieter around all of them, especially Jack.

Jack had noticed the way Michael and Ray angled their chairs a little as if they were trying to be subtle about listening in as he started to explain how Gavin had seemed to take that question about the stuff Jack used to say in the podcasts to heart and hadn’t seemed to listen to him afterwards when he’d tried to explain he didn’t mean it.

Naturally, that’d led Michael (who was no longer even pretending not to listen in) to ask just how bad what Jack’d been saying back then had actually been which, in turn, had led to them all sat crowded around Jack’s computer as they listened to podcast 159, collectively grimacing as he seemed to fire off insult after insult at Gavin and Jack felt his gut clench painfully when he heard Gavin’s voice though the speakers claiming that every day back then Jack had come into work claiming he wanted to hit Gavin. He knew the Brit had been joking, exaggerating things for the fanbase, but all the same… something in his voice seemed to suggest that even then Jack’s words had been bothering him.

By the time they were done listening he could tell his boyfriends were just as concerned as he was about the situation. “So Gavin actually thinks you meant all that shit?”

"Seems like it, yeah."

"Well I guess you’ve got to find a way to prove him wrong then."

Which sounded like a great idea in theory, only problem was, “How the hell do I do that?”

—-

Ryan looked up when he felt someone’s shadow move over his desk, surprised to find Gavin standing there since usually he’d be messing around with his fellow lads or doing some last minute editing right about now. Not that the surprise was an unpleasant one. “Hey there Gav.”

"Hi Rye-bread, what’re you working on?"

"Nothing I can’t put off for a bit." He admitted, saving his progress before closing down the project he’d been working on and pulling Gavin into his lap, chuckling a little as the Brit let out a surprised squawk in response, Lindsay’s laughter joining his as she rolled her eyes at the pair’s antics before carrying on with her own work. "So what brings you to the warehouse?"

"Does a man need an excuse to visit his boyfriend?"

"Not if that’s the only reason, but its something else isn’t it?"

"What do you mean?" Ryan noted the way the Brit attempted to play off his concerns but he could see the insecurities swirling within his gaze that gave him away and he was pretty sure he could make a pretty good guess what put them there.

"Is this about what that fan said at the panel?"

"What fan?" Ryan shot him a look that made it clear he wasn’t buying into Gavin’s bullshit and, after a few moments, the Brit seemed to relent as he admitted, "Kind of... I guess… it just sort of reminded me of the way I used to feel when he said that stuff and then I started thinking about how he still says stuff like that sometimes and… now I can’t stop wondering if he’s always meant those things and I’ve just been too busy being dumb to actually realize that."

"Gavin… do you remember how you used to think that I hated you?" The Brit nodded, "Do you still think that now?" He shook his head, "Well couldn’t this be a little like that? Maybe there’s just been an error of communication here. I mean if he’s saying things that bother you, just tell him that and he’ll stop."

"It’s not what he says… you all call me dumb and stuff sometimes but with you and Geoff and Michael and Ray, I know you’re joking whereas with Jack… it doesn’t seem so much like he’s kidding when he says it." Ryan wasn’t really sure what to say to that, knowing that the words of assurance Gavin needed to hear probably needed to come from Jack himself, so instead he’d just wrapped the arms around Gavin’s waist a little tighter and had started to talk to him about other things to keep the Brit’s mind distracted until Geoff had eventually come looking for both of them to film a Let’s Play.

At least the distraction seemed to have helped a little, Gavin seeming more like himself as they filmed their new video. He’d didn’t miss the way the Brit’s laughter seemed a little more genuine than it had been for the last few days, nor did he miss the relieved looks the rest of the boys seemed to shoot the Brit whenever he wasn’t looking because of it. The problem hadn’t been fixed but… it was still a start.

—-

A few days later found Gavin coming back from his lunch break with Barb and Burnie (after filming a few vines for the Roosterteeth channel) only to end up panicking a little when he’d come back to find Jack alone in the Achievement Hunter office, none of their other boyfriends anywhere in sight. He’d been about to sneak back out of the door he’d just come in through when Jack had turned, smiled at him (albeit a little sheepishly), and asked him to take a seat because they needed to talk about something...

Which had naturally sent the Brit’s mind into a frenzied state of panic because the words ‘we need to talk’ never meant anything good for people in relationships and suddenly it seemed like all the thoughts Gavin had been trying to battle down about Jack’s feelings for him in the last week or so had actually held some truth to them and oh god he was breaking up with him wasn't he?

He’d taken the offered seat though, halfway convinced that his legs might give out any second if he didn't as he braced himself for Jack's inevitable words and the pain that would almost definitely follow and… “I’m a fucking dumbass.” …Okay so those hadn’t exactly been the words he’d been expecting.

The Brit’s head had shot up almost comically from where he’d been admiring a particularly interesting patch of floor in order to avoid having to meet his boyfriend’s (likely soon to be ex-boyfriend’s) gaze, eyes seeking out Jack’s only to find guilt and something apologetic and something warm and not a trace of the hate he’d expected to find there.

"Have been most of my life actually. When I was five, I managed to knock over a vase and blamed the neighbor’s cat, when I was eight I managed to get stuck in a revolving door... for half an hour, when I was twelve I managed to run into a pole so hard I knocked myself unconscious... And I have plenty more examples where those came from. But perhaps most stupidly of all, when I was roughly twenty seven years old and this British guy started working with me and Geoff on Achievement hunter I was too much of a coward to admit that I liked them… so I handled it like a kid, pulling pigtails and calling them names just because I wasn’t able to handle these new feelings I had for them. I never realized how much my actions were hurting them in the process, what’s worse I continued to fail to realize it after we grew closer. I made them think that I really thought they were dumb or even that I hated them when really, I’ve actually kind of fallen in love with the guy. So yeah, I guess I’m the real office dumbass here and I owe this guy about a thousand apologies so I’ll start with this one… I’m sorry Gav."

There was a beat of silence, as Gavin seemed to register Jack’s words, and then a soft, almost disbelieving, “…You love me?”

"You noticed that part huh? …Yeah I do."

"I thought you hated me."

"I used to think it might be easier if you did. You were young, pretty damn attractive and completely out of my league."

"What made you stop thinking that?"

"Well, as it happens, you’re one of the most infuriatingly likable people I know. In the long run, I couldn’t even pretend to hate you and make it convincing."

"Because you love me."

"Not gonna let that one go for a while huh?"

"Of course not you pleb."

"I tell you I love you and you call me a pleb?"

"Yep." Jack couldn’t help but laugh a little at the sight of the cheeky grin curling up the corners of Gavin’s lips.

"I probably deserve that."

"Yep."

"Are you going to be annoyingly smug about this for the rest of the day?"

"Yep."

Jack went quiet for a moment before an evil glint suddenly flared to life in his eyes that made Gavin let out a slightly nervous laugh as he backed away from the man a little but not quite fast enough as Jack caught his arm, pulling him into his lap as he begun to tickle the Brit mercilessly, Gavin squirming and laughing and begging Jack to stop.

And that was where their other boyfriends found them when they arrived back at the office a few minutes later, Michael and Ray moving to ‘defend’ the Brit from Jack while Ryan offered the gent reinforcements, Geoff taking in the scene with an amused grin.

"Glad to see you assholes have made up." He finally offered when the tickle war that’d broken out had finally subsided.

"Hey Geoffrey, Michael, Ray, Ryan guess what? Jack loooooves me."

"He dropped the L-bomb huh? Not sure whether I should be jealous or not."

"You know I always thought it’d be Ray or Ryan who said it first."

"…Damn, now I owe Burnie money."

"You made a bet on who’d say it first Geoff?"

"I figured I’d be getting an I love you and Burnie’s money, it was a win-win scenario."

"Who were you betting on?"

"Gavin."

"…Well you were sort of close."

"How much did you bet?" Geoff’s mumbled answer was followed by a beat of silence and then, a ‘holy shit really’ from Michael before the room had burst into laughter.

"I think Jack might be Burnie’s brand new favorite person after today."

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up assholes." But Geoff had been smiling as he’d said the words. After that, the room had descended into playful teasing as they’d set up their equipment for a ‘Things To Do’ and Gavin might’ve stayed in Jack’s lap, watching him set up, until Ray had called them out on it. After that’d he’d pressed a light kiss to Jack’s cheek, offering a wide smile over his shoulder as he moved back over to his desk next to Michael’s and Jack knew that all had been forgiven.

—-

And later that night when they’d laid in bed together, Gavin’s head pillowed on Jack’s chest as the two shared the Brit’s small bed in Geoff’s apartment (Geoff and Michael were in the former’s while Ryan and Ray had taken the couches since they’d discovered pretty early on that it was literally impossible for them to all share the same bed given how small they all were, though they’d recently begun to talk about maybe finding a better solution to the problem by investing in a bigger bed and maybe a bigger place to go with it). Jack had just murmured a soft ‘night’ to the Brit when he’d heard those three words whispered back to him in the silence as Gavin began to drift off, Jack’s arms tightening a little around his waist in response as a weight he’d been carrying around within him for the last week or so was finally lifted from his chest. Both of them had fallen asleep that night with a smile of their face.


End file.
